Session 2: Jumabrynth
Here be the summary for the second session of the pookaknight Changeling game. I written it in journal form from the perspective of my troll character. I think I jotted down most of the important stuff, if not I can blame it on my character. :)
The day started normal enough, as normal is in this high school. We were in homeroom as usual. Memphis was reading the usual car magazine. Mindy had her crayons. Raz was drawing diagrams of some form. Juan was, whatever he chose to be that day...an artist I believe. Sam was going through various fencing moves in her head. And I was trying not to look at her too much, as well as trying to stay awake.
"So, Bellesandra's group wants to meet with us after school today," I believe were the fateful words that sprung from Juan's mouth this particular day. Sam and Lord Darkshire wisely abstained because of previous scheduled conflicts: Sam's upcoming tourney and the Lord's D&D game. I was tempted to go to fencing practice as well, but Tony was going to be with them, so the club needed me there most likely. Mindy, Raz, Memphis agreed to go to the meeting as well.
The rest of the day passed without much trouble. Raz even seemed to be getting more used to being Fae, considering how elaborate his drawings and cursing was becoming. After school, the SGAA members that were attending awaited for the Unseelies to arrive.
All three of them arrived, late as usual. Anastasia oddly asked about Lord Darkshire, who is a level 3 wizard. Juan looked to now be a photographer as he greeted the late arrivals. Tony looked to be his usual rude self, though even with our differences I would prefer his company over Bellesandra's. Juan was too busy taking pictures to care about her pulling a game board out, which in hindsight was a pretty powerful treasure. Tony was trying to warn her of something when she ignored him, rolling the dice onto the board. It proclaimed those who try to escape the labyrinth would be trapped forever to paraphrase. I immediately picked up a desk.
After her annoying laughter about trapping us in the game so they could steal our dreamers, Tony informed her that 'us' included the Unseelie as well. Raz grabbed the board and threw it into a cabinet to prevent the Unseelie's from doing anything else stupid...if that was possible. After discussion on having to get through this together, both groups teamed up and we headed out the door, to see what was there.
And it was a school hallway...though it did feel different. Memphis opened a locker to look inside. When he did, there was a 16-bit SNES looking dude. We found out about the minotaur from him. Then he was given one of the surrounding lanterns. After that we encountered a small knight fighting a small dragon. After Memphis tried to grab the dragon, Raz turned its legs to stone, and I managed to grab it.
After much discussion, Memphis managed to reign in the fellow. The Dragon's den turned out to be near the ceiling, so one of Mindy's faeries went up there to "save the maiden". He didn't get too far apparently, since he seemed disturbed. After this, Juan and I assisted the Knight to the dragon's den above where he rescued his maiden which turned out to be a snapping turtle.
Then we made it to a door with a riddle. This would be a running theme with this particular game-board-maze trap. The door was answered quickly enough, and we were on our way to circle two.
Level two was a little darker. After Raz noticed we were being watched, a pair of eyes in the wall were briefly glimpsed before they disappeared. Juan poked it with his stick and commanded it to reveal itself. It was a bit difficult, but it did reveal the remaining levels we needed to move through to get to the center and the upcoming Pit of Despair. I also took the time to rip a locker door out of the wall to use as a sword, albeit a misshapen one.
The Pit of Despair was hidden at first. But after closer examination via stone tossing on Raz's part, it revealed itself. It was kind of depressing and anti-climatic, but Juan tied a rope around himself and jumped inside it anyway to impress the cause of our predicament. I held him as he seemed to go the full length of rope without hitting the bottom.
Raz decided he wanted to make an orb out of the pit, so I yanked Juan out of it. I "accidentally" threw him at Bellesandra and he happily made a pass at her, getting slapped in the process if I remember right. After proper planning, Raz scooped the pit out and made an Orb of Despair, which Anastasia gleefully held for Darkshire....which was a little disturbing. Then we made it to the second door, which was answered with ease.
The next level we encountered some odd shadows as the hallways looked further removed from the school look. Raz talked to one of the shadows, which it needed saving from the light. We tried to walk back to the beginning to extinguish those lights, but it seemed like the hallway was endless. A door was spotted and everyone went inside it. All the lights were completely extinguished and a Darkness monster made itself known. I cast my level two art in discord to help everyone dodge the beasty, but Raz vanquished the beast and made it into a stick of darkness, which he attached to the orb of despair. Anastasia's glee was still disturbing.
After that challenge we encountered walls of arms that tried to grab us, which I am sad to say I was one of the ones to be grabbed along with Mindy. Memphis saved Mindy and I would have saved myself, but Tony "accidentally" bumped me and I dropped my sword. Juan managed to get me loose after I struggled in vain, which was not one of my finer moments. After that fiasco, we made it to and passed door number three. Raz also decided to work on the locker sword while I carried him on my back for a little bit.
On the fourth level, we encountered a sign warning us of RUS. Juan said he didn't believe they existed just before one jumped on him. I immediately cut it off of him, getting the RUS guts all over Tony. Then many eyes began to look at us. Everyone but me ran off. Being annoyed that I could have been at fencing practice instead of here, I merely looked at them. They backed off. This would be the extent of my use of the locker sword.
Then on this level, we encountered the Bog of Eternal stench. Memphis jokingly suggested to Tony that he should drink it. After refusing, Juan did a little song and Tony changed his mind. It was the second most disgusting thing I have ever seen. It took all my will not to barf, especially if it would have ended up in the bog. Note to self, I must avoid the bathroom he uses for a while. After he finished his drink, we made it through the fourth door without Raz making anything out of this floor's challenges.
The Fifth floor started out with some fun falling tiles. Memphis handled himself the best considering his speed, while I almost fell. After nearly falling, I took the easy route and Hopscotched over to the other side, grabbing Mindy in the process. Then came the MC Escher room.
Then next challenge was something out of one of those MC Escher pictures, stairs and gravity having no meaning or some science/abstract art jargon. Everyone's perceptions were apparently being messed with because we all ended up in separate areas. Juan and Memphis discovered the trick of closing your eyes first. I was one of the last. Bellasandra was being her usual stubborn self and Juan tried to persuade her. To save time, I finally hopscotched her to me and walked off as she was complaining. Juan didn't seem happy I did that either. Oh well. And the Fifth door was conquered. Go team Seelie.
The only thing of note on the sixth level was a rope bridge. Juan tried to cross it, which he was doing good until it broke on our side. I grabbed the ropes and managed to hold them until he made it across. Then Memphis ran across. Finally some sense when Raz made a bridge with his arts of the stone ground and everyone else went while I waited to be last. I slipped at first, but after being told to crawl across, I let out a curse and walked the rest without much problems. I even solved the last door riddle, which was silence. I suspect this was a foreign concept to a few members of the group.
At last we came to the Minotaur. He was big and stood up as we walked in, picking up his huge sword. I was expecting to having to fight it, but Juan challenged him to a duel. I am not joking. He used his fancy wording of a duel to the yield, and the Minotaur accepted. Memphis played announcer to the fight as the Minotaur’s cattle played the part of audience with the rest of our group. After three hits, Juan was the victor. Yes I am also not kidding about that. He used that stick powers of his to make the Minotaur yield. Afterward, we were swept from the game, with each of the Fae present holding a golden orb. An Asterisk or something, I think it was called.
Bellasandra left in a huff hoping we learned our lesson. Tony left to make the porcelain gods cry. Anastasia left to go to Darkshire, mentioning something about kidnapping him... I don't want to know. And Juan left to go to the restroom.I went home with my orb. Yay.
The day started normal enough, as normal is in this high school. We were in homeroom as usual. Memphis was reading the usual car magazine. Mindy had her crayons. Raz was drawing diagrams of some form. Juan was, whatever he chose to be that day...an artist I believe. Sam was going through various fencing moves in her head. And I was trying not to look at her too much, as well as trying to stay awake.
"So, Bellesandra's group wants to meet with us after school today," I believe were the fateful words that sprung from Juan's mouth this particular day. Sam and Lord Darkshire wisely abstained because of previous scheduled conflicts: Sam's upcoming tourney and the Lord's D&D game. I was tempted to go to fencing practice as well, but Tony was going to be with them, so the club needed me there most likely. Mindy, Raz, Memphis agreed to go to the meeting as well.
The rest of the day passed without much trouble. Raz even seemed to be getting more used to being Fae, considering how elaborate his drawings and cursing was becoming. After school, the SGAA members that were attending awaited for the Unseelies to arrive.
All three of them arrived, late as usual. Anastasia oddly asked about Lord Darkshire, who is a level 3 wizard. Juan looked to now be a photographer as he greeted the late arrivals. Tony looked to be his usual rude self, though even with our differences I would prefer his company over Bellesandra's. Juan was too busy taking pictures to care about her pulling a game board out, which in hindsight was a pretty powerful treasure. Tony was trying to warn her of something when she ignored him, rolling the dice onto the board. It proclaimed those who try to escape the labyrinth would be trapped forever to paraphrase. I immediately picked up a desk.
After her annoying laughter about trapping us in the game so they could steal our dreamers, Tony informed her that 'us' included the Unseelie as well. Raz grabbed the board and threw it into a cabinet to prevent the Unseelie's from doing anything else stupid...if that was possible. After discussion on having to get through this together, both groups teamed up and we headed out the door, to see what was there.
And it was a school hallway...though it did feel different. Memphis opened a locker to look inside. When he did, there was a 16-bit SNES looking dude. We found out about the minotaur from him. Then he was given one of the surrounding lanterns. After that we encountered a small knight fighting a small dragon. After Memphis tried to grab the dragon, Raz turned its legs to stone, and I managed to grab it.
After much discussion, Memphis managed to reign in the fellow. The Dragon's den turned out to be near the ceiling, so one of Mindy's faeries went up there to "save the maiden". He didn't get too far apparently, since he seemed disturbed. After this, Juan and I assisted the Knight to the dragon's den above where he rescued his maiden which turned out to be a snapping turtle.
Then we made it to a door with a riddle. This would be a running theme with this particular game-board-maze trap. The door was answered quickly enough, and we were on our way to circle two.
Level two was a little darker. After Raz noticed we were being watched, a pair of eyes in the wall were briefly glimpsed before they disappeared. Juan poked it with his stick and commanded it to reveal itself. It was a bit difficult, but it did reveal the remaining levels we needed to move through to get to the center and the upcoming Pit of Despair. I also took the time to rip a locker door out of the wall to use as a sword, albeit a misshapen one.
The Pit of Despair was hidden at first. But after closer examination via stone tossing on Raz's part, it revealed itself. It was kind of depressing and anti-climatic, but Juan tied a rope around himself and jumped inside it anyway to impress the cause of our predicament. I held him as he seemed to go the full length of rope without hitting the bottom.
Raz decided he wanted to make an orb out of the pit, so I yanked Juan out of it. I "accidentally" threw him at Bellesandra and he happily made a pass at her, getting slapped in the process if I remember right. After proper planning, Raz scooped the pit out and made an Orb of Despair, which Anastasia gleefully held for Darkshire....which was a little disturbing. Then we made it to the second door, which was answered with ease.
The next level we encountered some odd shadows as the hallways looked further removed from the school look. Raz talked to one of the shadows, which it needed saving from the light. We tried to walk back to the beginning to extinguish those lights, but it seemed like the hallway was endless. A door was spotted and everyone went inside it. All the lights were completely extinguished and a Darkness monster made itself known. I cast my level two art in discord to help everyone dodge the beasty, but Raz vanquished the beast and made it into a stick of darkness, which he attached to the orb of despair. Anastasia's glee was still disturbing.
After that challenge we encountered walls of arms that tried to grab us, which I am sad to say I was one of the ones to be grabbed along with Mindy. Memphis saved Mindy and I would have saved myself, but Tony "accidentally" bumped me and I dropped my sword. Juan managed to get me loose after I struggled in vain, which was not one of my finer moments. After that fiasco, we made it to and passed door number three. Raz also decided to work on the locker sword while I carried him on my back for a little bit.
On the fourth level, we encountered a sign warning us of RUS. Juan said he didn't believe they existed just before one jumped on him. I immediately cut it off of him, getting the RUS guts all over Tony. Then many eyes began to look at us. Everyone but me ran off. Being annoyed that I could have been at fencing practice instead of here, I merely looked at them. They backed off. This would be the extent of my use of the locker sword.
Then on this level, we encountered the Bog of Eternal stench. Memphis jokingly suggested to Tony that he should drink it. After refusing, Juan did a little song and Tony changed his mind. It was the second most disgusting thing I have ever seen. It took all my will not to barf, especially if it would have ended up in the bog. Note to self, I must avoid the bathroom he uses for a while. After he finished his drink, we made it through the fourth door without Raz making anything out of this floor's challenges.
The Fifth floor started out with some fun falling tiles. Memphis handled himself the best considering his speed, while I almost fell. After nearly falling, I took the easy route and Hopscotched over to the other side, grabbing Mindy in the process. Then came the MC Escher room.
Then next challenge was something out of one of those MC Escher pictures, stairs and gravity having no meaning or some science/abstract art jargon. Everyone's perceptions were apparently being messed with because we all ended up in separate areas. Juan and Memphis discovered the trick of closing your eyes first. I was one of the last. Bellasandra was being her usual stubborn self and Juan tried to persuade her. To save time, I finally hopscotched her to me and walked off as she was complaining. Juan didn't seem happy I did that either. Oh well. And the Fifth door was conquered. Go team Seelie.
The only thing of note on the sixth level was a rope bridge. Juan tried to cross it, which he was doing good until it broke on our side. I grabbed the ropes and managed to hold them until he made it across. Then Memphis ran across. Finally some sense when Raz made a bridge with his arts of the stone ground and everyone else went while I waited to be last. I slipped at first, but after being told to crawl across, I let out a curse and walked the rest without much problems. I even solved the last door riddle, which was silence. I suspect this was a foreign concept to a few members of the group.
At last we came to the Minotaur. He was big and stood up as we walked in, picking up his huge sword. I was expecting to having to fight it, but Juan challenged him to a duel. I am not joking. He used his fancy wording of a duel to the yield, and the Minotaur accepted. Memphis played announcer to the fight as the Minotaur’s cattle played the part of audience with the rest of our group. After three hits, Juan was the victor. Yes I am also not kidding about that. He used that stick powers of his to make the Minotaur yield. Afterward, we were swept from the game, with each of the Fae present holding a golden orb. An Asterisk or something, I think it was called.
Bellasandra left in a huff hoping we learned our lesson. Tony left to make the porcelain gods cry. Anastasia left to go to Darkshire, mentioning something about kidnapping him... I don't want to know. And Juan left to go to the restroom.I went home with my orb. Yay.